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Quickstart

This guide walks you through installing Cube, configuring access to your NIM instance, authenticating, and performing common resource operations.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • A working installation of Rust and Cargo
  • Access to a NIM instance
  • Valid authentication credentials (user account or OpenID client)

For Rust installation instructions, see the official Rust website: https://rust-lang.org/tools/install Pre-build binaries are coming soon.

Installation​

Install the Cube CLI and MCP server directly from the Git repository using Cargo:

cargo install --git https://github.com/Fastiraz/cube.git cube-cli
cargo install --git https://github.com/Fastiraz/cube.git cube-mcp

Verify the installation:

cube --version

Initial Configuration​

Cube requires the URL of your NIM instance before it can communicate with the API.

Initialize your configuration:

cube config init --base-url https://example.usercube.com

You can verify your configuration at any time:

cube config show

Configure Authentication​

Cube supports both interactive user authentication and service account authentication.

Service Account (OpenID Client Credentials)​

This method is recommended for:

  • Automation
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Background services
  • Scheduled jobs

Store your OpenID credentials locally:

cube config set openid.client my-agent-client
cube config set openid.secret my-client-secret

Once configured, you can authenticate without providing credentials on every login.

Authentication​

Login with a Service Account​

Use the configured OpenID client credentials:

cube login agent

Or provide credentials explicitly:

cube login agent --client Job --secret secret

Login with a User Account​

For username/password authentication:

cube login account --username Administrator --password secret

Logout​

Clear the current authentication session:

cube login logout

Working with Resources

Cube exposes NIM resources through a consistent command structure.

Discover Available Resources​

List all available resources:

cube resources

Display information about a specific resource:

cube resources Metadata

Entity Types​

Entity types represent object definitions within NIM.

List Entity Types​

cube entitytype list

Get an Entity Type​

Retrieve a single entity type by its identifier:

cube entitytype get 1337

Create an Entity Type​

cube entitytype create \
  -d '{
    "identifier": "Directory_Test",
    "displayName_L1": "Test"
  }'

Update an Entity Type​

cube entitytype update 1337 \
  -d '{
    "displayName_L1": "New Name"
  }'

Delete an Entity Type​

cube entitytype delete 1337

Filtering and Queries​

Filter results using a query expression:

cube entitytype list --query "Identifier='Directory_User'"

JSON Output​

Generate compact JSON output for scripting and automation:

cube --output compact entitytype list

Pipe results to other tools:

cube --output compact entitytype list | jq '.[].Name'

Reading Input from Standard Input​

Cube can read request payloads directly from stdin.

Create a resource using a JSON file:

cat payload.json | cube entitytype create -d -

This is particularly useful when generating payloads dynamically in shell scripts or CI/CD workflows.

Next Steps​

  • Explore available resources with cube resources
  • Inspect resource schemas and supported operations
  • Integrate Cube into automation workflows and CI/CD pipelines
  • Use the MCP server to connect Cube with AI assistants and external tools